Packing device for typewriters and like machines



April 13, 1954 w. c. JONES 2,675,115

PACKING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Dec. 26, 1952 INVENTOR. WILLARD C. JONES Patented Apr. 13, 1954 PACKING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS AND LIKE MACHINES Willard C. Jones, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application December 26, 1952, Serial N 0. 327,972

3 Claims. (01. 197-193) This invention relates to devices applied to typewriters during shipment to secure the typewriter carriage against movement and prevent damage to the carriage raceways due to rough handling.

In packing typewriters for shipment, particularly portable typewriters, it has been the practice to secure the carriage against travel on its trackway by hand-tying or taping the carriage securely to the stationary part of the typewriter, a practice which is somewhat costly in labor and apt to be faulty unless carefully done. Furthermore, in many instances the purchaser directly receiving the shipment is confronted with the tedious task of removing these tyings as well as other protective shipping devices from the typewriter.

An object of the invention is to provide simple means for securing the typewriter carriage against movement during transit, which may be easily and quickly installed and removed.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind which may be installed and removed without the use of tools and which when fully installed is not apt to become loose or dislodged because of vibration or rough handling during shipment.

In its more specific aspect, the invention concerns carriage holding devices in the form of a wire member insertable through aligned holes in the trackway rails of the carriage. A further object of the invention is to enable the use of a holding member of this kind which may be inserted into the rails in a somewhat irregular path, for instance through a cover opening of the carriage and past other carriage parts which obstruct a straight-line approach to the rail holes.

Another object is to provide a carriage locking arrangement in which the locking wire, in its cooperative relation with the carriage trackway rails, will be securely wedged in place in the rail holes, thus to effectively resist any tendency to become dislodged during shipment of the typewriter.

A further object is to provide a carriage locking device of which the two locking wires or rods may be retained in installed position by the margin stops of the typewriter, which stops, being readily adjustable endwise of the carriage to define various margins, afford a conveniently operable means for retaining and releasing the locking wire.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part particularly pointed out as the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end view of a typewriter carriage, portions being broken away and shown in section, and showing the carriage locking device installed,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 but showing the carriage locking element in the initial position of being installed.

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view partly broken away, the view being taken approximately on the staggered line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a plan view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the back portion of the typewriter carriage at its rightward end.

The invention may be used in the shipping of various kinds of business machines wherein the locking of a carriage in a fixed position on its trackways is required. In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, the carriage looking devices are illustrated as applied to the Wellknown Underwood Portable Typewriter. Referring to Figure l, the body or stationary portion of the typewriter is indicated at 6, on which a two-part trackway l is secured, the trackway providing front and rear V-shaped outer rails B and 9. The typewriter carriage on which the usual platen cylinder l0 and other record holding and feeding devices are carried includes end members II, Figure 3, to which a trackway i2 is secured, the latter providing front and rear V- shaped inner rails l3 and I4. Between each pair of rails 8, l3 and 9, I4 the usual antifriction rollers or balls, not shown, cooperate to support and guide the carriage in its linetyping and return travels, and these bearing balls may be of the well-known kind including sprockets, the teeth of which engage in a series of openings l5 in each rail to maintain the bearings in spaced relation along the rails.

The carriage may also carry the usual tabulator rack it which extends from end to end between the members II. The carriage has a margin stop rack I! along which margin stops is are adjustable for determining various margins for the typing. Each stop I8 is spring-urged laterally of the rack I! so that a tooth it thereon is held engaged between adjacent teeth of the rack to retain the margin stop in its desired position, in the wellknown manner. An in-- clined paper table 2| extends rearwardly from the platen l0 and, in the construction shown,

3 joins into the rear wall or cover 22 of the carriage. Two slots 23 in this rear wall, Figures 3 and 5, have the respective margin stops [8 extending therethrough to make the stops accessible for position adjustment without removing the carriage cover 22, which in the present construction is not arranged for opening or convenient removal. As shown best in Figure 3, a screw 24 is threaded into the rails 8 and 9 at each rail end so that the screw head obstructs the V groove and thus prevents the bearing balls from riding out of the rails.

In shipping portable typewriters they are often subjected to rough handling as by dropping or otherwise jouncing the package, which sometimes results in damage to the rails of the two trackways supporting the platen carriage. The risk of damage of this kind is largely eliminated by installing a number of plugs between the respective rails of the carriage trackways so as to contact an appreciable length of each rail and thus relieve the weight of the carriage from the rollers or balls. Preferably there are four such plugs used, as indicated at 26 in Figure 3, one

installed at each end of each pair of companion rails. Each plug 26 should be of a length to extend over an ample length of the two companion railsso as to distribute any impact force over the rails and thus assure that no distortion or other damage will result. Each plug 26 may be made of a relatively hard material such as metal and is transversely slotted to straddle the head of screw 24.

To install the two plugs 26 at one end of the trackways, the carriage is positioned toward the opposite side of the typewriter so that the rails i3 and M of the upper trackway l2 are clear of the rails 8 and 9 of the lower trackway l to an extent of about the length of the plugs. One plug 26 is then laid in the V groove of each rail 8 and 9, as shown at the upper left in Figure 3. While holding the two plugs in the grooves, the carriage is moved in appropriate direction so that the inner rails I 3 and M overlie the two plugs. Each plug 26 should be of such diameter as to snugly fit slidably between the two companion rails, and the inner end of the plug is preferably slightly tapered to facilitate movement of the carriage in bringing the inner rails to overlie the plugs. The two plugs for use at the opposite end of the carriage may be installed in the same way, that is by moving the carriage in appropriate direction so as to expose the ends of the two lower rails 8 and 9 to an extent ample to permit placement of the plugs into their V grooves, with the plug slots straddling the respective screws 24. It will be noted that during this movement of the carriage to facilitate installing the second pair of plugs, the screws 24 prevent the first pair of plugs from becoming dislodged endwise by friction of the moving rails l3 and I4 thereon.

After installing the four plugs 28 as described, the carriage is brought to a centralized position, as is usually required to fit the typewriter within its carrying case or within a compactly designed carton. In this position of the carriage the companion rails 9, l4 assume the relative position shown in Figure 3. The carriage is held in this centralized position on the trackways by inserting a resilient locking wire 28 through openings provided respectively in the rails 9, I4 and the plug 26. Although one of the holes near the end of each series may be used for this purpose it is preferable to rebore these holes so that a fairly close fit of the locking wire 28 therein is had. With reference to Figure 2, it should be noted that the holes in the two rails 9 and M for the reception of the locking wire are in the apex or V-bend of each rail, for which reason the direction defined by the axis of the two aligned holes is predetermined by the relative position of the two rails as constructed in the commercial typewriter. In instances where, as in the present embodiment, the axis of these holes as projected rearwardly therefrom is obstructed by other structures on the typewriter carriage, as for example the tabulator rack l6 and the rear cover wall 22, Figure 2, it becomes practically impossible to insert a straight locking wire through the rail and plug holes. Also, since the locking wire is inserted through the margin stop slot 23 its position with respect to the axis of the aligned locking holes requires an angular position of the main portion of the wire with relation to said axis. Furthermore, the use of a straight wire has the further objection of becoming easily dislodged from vibrations incident to shipping the typewriter.

To enable inserting the wire 28 through the rails via the path of approach which is at an appreciable angle from the axis ofthe locking holes, the locking wire 23 has a bend 29, Figure 4, near the end of the wire which is inserted through the rails. The angle of this bend should be relatively small since it is necessary that the bent section of the locking wire be accommodated within the composite bore formed by the rail and plug holes, as shown in Figure 1. The angle of bend will be substantially the same angle as that between the axis of the locking holes and the straight path of approach to said holes as afforded by the structure of the typewriter which determines the direction of that path. For example, with reference to Figure 2, if the axis of the locking holes in the rails is, say, 15 degrees from the straight path passing through the slot 23 and past tabulator rack [6, then the angle of bend may be about 15 degrees. The angle of bend may be increased slightly to afford a tighter frictional look, as now described. The bent or bowed portion, when installed through the rails and flange holes, as shown in Figure 1, effects a friction grip with the walls of the composite bore by being cramped or wedged into the bore be cause of the fact that in its free condition the effective thickness of the bowed section, as measured across the bow and wire, is slightly greater'than the eiTective diameter of the bore. Thus, as the locking wire 28 is thrust into the bore, the bowed section, being crowded into the bore, is tensioned toward a straightened condition and wedges itself within the bore.

The outer end of locking wire 28 forms an open loop 31 terminating in a lateral projection 32. This loop and projection are approximately in the same plane as that of the inner bent end, see Figure 4, and serve primarily as a handle or grip. The coplanar relation of the loop and projection 3|, 32 with the opposite bent section permits the mechanic in installing the wire to easily control the direction of the bent end 29 as it is being inserted within the typewriter carriage and enables accurate manipulation of the locking wire as it is being installed through the holes of the trackway rails and plug.

Before describing the particular manner of in stalling the locking wire 28, it, will be assumed that the four plugs 26 have been set in place and the carriage has been accurately centralized on the typewriter. With the carriage in this position the two holes in the companion rails 9, M are in alignment with each other and the plug 26, being pushed inwardly to an extent determined by the screw 24 engaging the outer wall of the plug slot, has the hole for passage of the locking wire therethrough substantially in alignment with the locking holes in the companion rails. By holding the locking wires by the looped formation 3|, with said loop substantially parallel with the directionof the margin-stop slots 23, the locking wire is inserted through said slot and into the typewriter carriage so that the inner end of the wire 28 is initially inserted into the hole of rail 9, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. Following this, the locking wire is further thrust axially at the same time turning the locking wire bodily for about a quarter turn, giving the locking wire a screwing or spiral motion. At the start of installing the locking wire the lateral projection 32 points inwardly toward the center of the typewriter, as shown in Figure 4, and when installation of the wire is completed said projection points upwardly as shown in Figure 1. This spiral screwing motion of the locking wire as it is being installed enables the forward end of the wire to find its way through the approximately aligned rail and plug holes, with an auger action, until it becomes fully installed as shown in Figure l and 3. During this action, also, the forward pressure on the locking wire, thrusting the bowed portion thereof through the rails and plug, tensions the bowed section toward a straightened condition so that the wire wedges itself within the rails and plug.

The locking holes are preferably located at or near the end of the rails, in such position that the locking wire, when turned to the fully intalled position as described, will come to rest against or close to the outer end of the margin stop slot 23. By this arrangement, the locking wire 28 can be retained in its installed position by moving the adjacent margin stop I8 over into engagement with the locking wire, as shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 5. By so doing, the wire 28 is prevented from taking a turning motion such as would permit it to become released from its frictional grip in the locking holes and thus becoming dislodged. As a further precaution against dislodgment of the locking wires, an elastic element 33 such as the usual rubber band is stretched between the loop 3| of each wire 28. The rubber band can be slipped through the opening of each loop and is brought to an offset portion of same so that its tension tends to turn the locking wire. This turning tendency rocks the wire loop, and otherwise tensions the locking wire, so that it i pressed into secure engagement with the margin stop I8.

The manner of removing the locking wires 28 and the plugs 26, to prepare the typewriter for use, will now be described. First the elastic element 33 is removed, after which the margin stops I8 are moved away from the locking wires. It is now necessary to pull each locking wire axially to withdraw same from the rail and plug, for which purpose a tag 34, attached by a string to the locking wire, is provided. It may be here noted that withdrawal of each locking wire 28 requires a slight twisting motion of the wire bodily, as generated by the angular portions of the Wire adjacent the bend 29 coacting with the interior of the locking holes in the rails and plug. This turning motion during withdrawal of the locking wire is permitted by the operator grasping only the tag 34 so that the attaching string, although tensioned to eifect the pulling, is free to be twisted by the turning action of the locking wire. It will thus be seen that each locking wire 28 may be quickly withdrawn in a carefree manher by merely pulling on each tag 34 in a general direction axially of th wire.

The locking wires 28 having been thus removed, the rail plugs 26 are easily removed by moving the carriage first to one side and thento.

the other to an extent ample to withdraw the carriage rails l3 and M from engagement with the respective pairs of plugs 26 at each carriage end. The plugs are then lifted from the V rooves of the rails 8, 9 and may be discarded unless their reuse in subsequent shipping is required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a carriage, trackway means supporting the carriage for travel and including companion rails having grooves for antifriction rollers cooperating therewith; of a plurality of elongate plugs, one for each end of the companion rails and slidably fitting in the grooves of said rails, at least one pair of said companion rails and a corresponding one of said plugs each having an opening, said opening collectively defining a bore transverse of the rails, and a resilient locking wire inserted through said bore, the portion of said locking wire within the bore having a bend which increases the effective width of the locking wire to exceed the size of the bore and thereby causes the locking wire to be irictionally gripped by the walls of the bore by the inherent resilience of the locking wire.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a carriage having a cover, trackway means supporting the carriage for travel and including companion rails of V section forming grooves for antifriction rollers cooperating with the rails, the carriage cover having an elongate narrow slot extending lengthwise thereof and afiording access to and for adjusting operating parts associated with the carriage; of a plurality of elongate plugs, one for each end of the companion rails and slidably fitting between the two rail grooves, the rails of at least one companion pair each having an opening at the apex of its V section, the corresponding said plug having a transverse opening, said rail and plug openings being aligned and collectively detion of said locking wire within the bore having an angle bend substantially equal to said angle between the bore axis and the straight line through the cover opening.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage having a cover, trackway means supporting the carriage for travel and including companion rails of V section forming grooves for antifriction rollers cooperating with the rails, a stop rack extending lengthwise of the carriage and having a margin stop adjustable along said rack, the carriage cover having a narrow slot substantially coextensive with said stop rack and through which the margin stop projects for manual adjustment; of a plurality of elongate plugs, one for each end of the companion rails and slidably fitting between the two rail grooves. the rails of at least one companion pair each having an opening at the apex of its V section. the corresponding said plug having a transverse opering, said rail and plug openings being aligned collectively defining a bore transverse of the companion rails and in substantial alignment with an end of the carriage cover slot, the axis of said bore being at an angle from a straight line projected from said bore and passing through the carriage cover slot, and a resilient locking wire extending through the cover slot and through the rail and plug bore, the portion of said locking wire within the bore having an angle bend substantially equal to said angle between the bore axis and the straight line through the cover slot, the locking wire portion passing through the cover slot being retained between the end of said slot and the margin stop adjusted to engage the locking wire.

No references cited. 

